In this opinion column, Daily Mail commentator Euan McColm argues that First Minister John Swinney lacks the political vision to lead Scotland effectively, following his Programme for Government announcement. McColm contends Swinney popularised the "too wee, too poor, too stupid" characterisation of Unionist views decades ago, and uses the piece to trace what he sees as a decline in SNP leadership since Alex Salmond, arguing Swinney has offered caution and stability rather than ambition.

The article recalls Swinney's route to the top job in May 2024, when he stepped in after Humza Yousaf's brief and troubled tenure, tasked with steadying a party hit by scandal, including a police investigation into alleged embezzlement by a former SNP chief executive. McColm credits Swinney with slowing the SNP's decline, notably after its heavy defeat to Scottish Labour in the July 2024 general election, but characterises the subsequent two years as largely inactive, marked by unambitious programmes for government and caution on most issues except trans rights.